Electric snap-switch.



No. 896,754. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908.

J. G. PETERSON.

ELECTRIC SNAP SWITCH.

APPIJIGATION FILED JAN. 10, 1908.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1v WWI/555 a; :1 IVVE/VTO R,-

No..896,754. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908. J. PETERSON. ELEGTRIG SNAP SWITCH.-

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 10, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, guided in their movement by the perforated UNITED sTA'rEs PATENT OFFICE.

JULIAN N (l. PETERSON, Ol .l-.L\ Itll OltD, CONNIQC'LICUT, ASSJGNOR TO THE ARROW ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNU llCU'l, A CORPORATION Oi! CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SNAP-SWITCH.

Application filed January 10, 1908.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1908.

Serial No. 410,162.

To all 107mm it "may concern:

Be it known that .l, Jonaxx GODFREY PETERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at .llartiord, in the county ol Ilartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and. useful Improvement in Electric Snap-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of electric snap switches in which the spring for oscillating the movable poles into engagement with the fixed contacts is made tense by means of rcciprocatory push buttons.

The object of the invention is to provide a switch of this nature which is constructed of parts that are simple and cheap to make and assemble, are sure and'positivc in action and are strong and durable in. use.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings illustrates a push button switch which embodies the invention with the case out in sections so as to show the operating mechanism in side'elevation. Fig. 2 shows an elevation of the mechanism looking at the side opposite from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the mechanism. Fig. 4 is a view of the mechanism with the movable poles omitted. Fig. 5 is a view of one pole plate and the locking pawls.

The receptacle 1 may be made of any suitable insulating material, preferably porcelain, and have any approved configuration. Secured to the bottom in the interior of the receptacle by convenient means are binding posts 2 for. the connection of the ends of the circuit wires. Electrically connected 3 to these posts are pairsof spring contact fingers 3, into and out of engagement with which the 'movable'poles of the switch are thrown.

Fastened to the bottom inside of the receptacle by suitable means is a supporting ar 8 which extends across the top of the re ceptacle and has attachment ears 9 for lastening the receptacle into the customary box. Held'by this bar is a piece of sheet insulating 3 material 10 which forms a cover for the receptacle: The usual surface plate 11 is ap pl ed to the top of the receptacle outside of buttons are attached has an outwardly extending finger 12, Fig, 3 and the-opposite ends of the spring 13, which is wound. about a sleeve on the frame hub, extend cmtwardly and bear against the opposite edges of this finger, Fig.

Extending through the supporting frame.

between the opposite ends of the throwing.

spring. If the device is designed to be a donble pole switch, pole pieces l8,are mounted.

upon and preferably insulated electrically from the plates 15 and 17. 1f the device is to be used as a singlepole switch, a pole piece would be mounted upon only one of these plates;

Pivoted to the supporting frame are a pair ofpawls 19. These pawls have lugs that are engaged by the ends of the spring 21 in such manner that the points of the ,pawl are held in engagement with the edge of the plate 15. This plate 15 has two ratchet teeth 22 which are alternately engaged by the opposite pawls, Fig. 5.

When the outer button is pushed inwardly the yoke is oscillated and the spring made tense by the engagement with one end of the spring of thefinger which projects from the push button plate. The pole plate is held stationary until the end ofthe yoke engages the lug 20 on the pawl 19 in such manner as to withdraw the point of the pawl from the ratchet tooth with which it is engaged, and by means ofwhich i.t holds the plate 15 and the finger 16 and ,plate 17 from movement. When the yoke engages the lug and withdraws the pawl from the plate, the end of the spring bearing against the edge of the finger 16 throws the parts and with them the movable pole pieces which engage the stationary contacts which are connected with the wire terminals. When one pawl is released and the parts are thrown the plate 15 is thrown sufficiently far for the opposite pawl to en gage the other tooth and hold the plate against movement until that pawl is released from the tooth b v the inward movement of the button that as been moved outwardly.

The up er end of the frame plate has a pair of upwar 1y extending lugs 23, the side edges of which form stops for limiting the movement of the finger 16 when it is thrown by the spring and the upper edges of which form stops against which the inner ends of the push buttons abut so as to prevent them from being moved too far inwardly.

All the parts of this switch are very simple to manufacture and to assemble. The move ment is very easy, and nick and the throw of the pole pieces extender so that the length of the break 1. sufficient to meet the requirements. When the buttons are pushed in, no work is required of them except to make the throwing spring tense until the spring is suliiciently tense and then the'yoke is. only required to swing a pawl out of engagement with a ratchet tooth on the pole plate, and this movement is very easy and positive for the yoke engages with the lug at the outer end of the pawl, which is of some length, and engages with the ratchet tooth in such manner that it is easily disengaged.

The invention claimed is:

1 The combination in an electric switch, of a supporting frame, aspindle held by the frame, a yoke mountedon the spindle, push buttons connected with and adapted to os'cillate the yoke, a spring having its ends engaged by the yoke and put under tension by the movement thereof, a pole plate supported by the frame and adapted to be engaged by theends of the spring and thrown by the tension thereof, contact pieces connected with the pole plate, pawls pivoted to the supporting frame, and a spring adapted to hold the awls in engagement with ratchet teeth on t 1e pole plate so the pawls will hold the pole plate against movement until they are disengaged from the teeth by the engagement with them of the yoke, substantially as specified.

2. The combination in an electric switch of a supporting frame, a spindle held by the frame, a yoke mounted on the spindle, means for oscillating the yoke, a spring mounted on the spindle and adapted to be made tense by the movement of the yoke, pole plates mounted on the spindle and connected with each other, contact pieces mounted upon but insulated from the pole plates, a pair of independent pawls pivoted to the frame plate and a spring adapted to hold the pawls in engagement with ratchet teeth on the pole plate until the pawls are disengaged from the teeth by the movement of the yoke, substantially as specified.

3. In an electric switch mechanism in combination, a supporting frame a yoke supported by the frame, a spring adapted to be made tense by the movement of the yoke, a pole plate adapted to be thrown by the spring, a contact piece carried by thepole plate, a pair of pawls adapted to engage ratchet teeth on the pole plate, lugs projecting from the pawls and adapted to be en gage d by the ends of the yoke for disengaging the pawls from the ratchet teeth, and lugs extending from the supporting frame for limiting the movement of the pole plate and'also limiting the movement of the yokc,'substantially as specified.

JOHANN G. PETERSON.

, Witnesses:

HARRY R. WILLIAMS, JOSEPHINE M. STREMPFER. 

